1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus to which is connected a scanner unit that reads an image of an original and to which is also connected either a color plotter unit that records/outputs a color image or a black-and-white plotter unit that records/outputs a black-and-white image, and further relates to a method and a computer program product for controlling the image processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
To meet a wide range of user needs that depend on the intended use, there have been developed various types of image forming apparatuses that have the functions of a copier, a printer, and a facsimile machine, so called multifunction printers (MFPs), ranging from inexpensive and unsophisticated to high speed and sophisticated.
An MFP necessarily includes an image processing apparatus that has a scanner function, an image processing function, an output function, and the like. If a sophisticated image processing apparatus is used, the cost of the MFP is increased. If the sophisticated and unsophisticated MFPs are configured to have totally different functions in order to cut the cost, the function extensibility expected of an MFP in recent years cannot be achieved.
To solve the above problems, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2006-325260 discloses a technology that an image processing apparatus including a scanner function and an accumulation function is added to an image forming apparatus that has a plotter function. Image data of an original read by the scanner function is temporarily accumulated using the image-data accumulation function so that the processing speed can be increased and so that it is possible to provide an inexpensive image forming apparatus that has a copier function.
Such conventional technology can expand a single-function image forming apparatus, such as a printer, into a multifunction image forming apparatus, i.e., an MFP; however, it is not possible to make a low-cost MFP without an image-data accumulation function.
On the other hand, there are various types of black-and-white multifunction printers equipped with a color scanner ranging from inexpensive ones that have low productivity to expensive ones that have high productivity. A function of such black-and-white multifunction printers equipped with a color scanner is a link copy function for causing a plurality of MFPs to output an image scanned by the color scanner. By the use of the link copy function, high-speed bulk printing of an image can be achieved. However, the link copy function is a function of expensive MFPs equipped with a color scanner that have high productivity. In other words, high productivity is realized by the use of the link copy function. Therefore, it is necessary to cope with a case where the productivity is not required to be so high or a case where the productivity is enhanced even a little when there is no MFP that has high productivity.